Merry Cliffmas: Senate will return Dec. 27

12/20/12 11:29 AM EST

The Senate has an official return date post-Christmas: Dec. 27.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said his chamber will return on the Thursday after Christmas to deal with major issues lingering on Capitol Hill -- the most pressing being how to avert the fiscal cliff. Time is winding down rapidly until the year-end deadline to avoid the massive tax and spending changes that will take effect absent congressional action.

"A lot of things are going on here, and people need to understand that we have things to do," Reid said on the Senate floor. "We want to be able to get home for a few days for Christmas, even though we will be back on the Thursday after Christmas."

The House is sticking around too.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor said Thursday that leadership won’t send members home after Thursday’s votes.

“We do not intend to send members home after this vote. We intend to stay here. We intend to avoid the fiscal cliff,” Cantor told reporters.